In terms of a loving, kind, ultimately superior lover for Katniss, I believe Peeta Mellark easily triumphs over Gale. After reading Catching Fire, I was sure of two things. For one, both Peeta and Gale care deeply for Katniss and understand her as a person. Secondly, Peeta’s understanding holds more truth. The day in the house by the lake, Gale is very violent and angry with Katniss. I understand that Gale has strong feelings about the Capitol and the injustice in Panem, but Peeta would never treat Katniss the way Gale sometimes does, because his feelings are all about Katniss--and he doesn't let the Capitol interfere with that. Peeta is deeply in love with her--unquestionably. I think Gale is a great friend for “Catnip,” and has a history of being there for her. The two of them cared for each other and their families through rough times. But I think their admiration for each other can’t compete with what Peeta and Katniss share. His love easily outlasts the rocky, damaged, hurt emotions Gale offers to the world.Peeta is constant, and would make a reliable, loving, funny, kind husband.

Taylor Youngsky:

As far as guys go, you can't get much better than Gale and Peeta. They're both unique personalities but they share one common bond and that is simply that they're madly in love with Katniss Everdeen. They both have desirable qualities. Peeta is sweet, kind, sacrificial, caring, and would willingly give himself up for Katniss. Gale is mysterious, Katniss's best friend, her confidant, her home, and his own person while still deeply loving Katniss. And even though I think at this point I'd go for either one in my own life, it just has to be Gale.

The opposition, Peeta, is a pretty amazing guy, but he's just not for her. He'll always remind her of the Hunger Games and the pain and blood. She'll also remember how she was forced to be with him, all the pain that she caused him, and I think at this point she'll feel like she owes him forever. After all, she was saved and he wasn't. She'll hate herself for that. If they were ever to be together, it would be a tainted relationship. Their personalities also clash. They're completely different people. Peeta is social, kind, always painfully hopeful, artistically enabled, creative, light hearted, thoughtful, and is devoted once he puts his mind to something. Katniss is often impulsive, brutal, grudging, intense, brash, angry, loves intensely, protective, stubborn, strong, respected, and just about every opposite of Peeta. I think their personalities, their likes, and the devotions would clash eventually. Their just too different. They'd fight, become irritated with each other, and it just wouldn't find a peace between the two.

Gale has been Katniss's best friend far before she even talked to Peeta. But we really don't know a lot about him, Katniss doesn't really feel the need to because they are now apart of each other. They work as a streemline team, hunting in the woods in a perfect kind of comradery. She knows him as well as she knows her own bow and arrow and vise versa. The have an intimate understanding, knowlege, and respect for each other. Because of this, Gale knows that Katniss can handle a lot on her own, that she's strong even though she is always doubting herself. He respects her independence and held in his own wants and needs for a long time, just so she wouldn't get hurt. Even though he made her bare a kiss, Gale didn't go any farther to confuse her or cause her pain and withheld his passion until she made up her mind to leave, and he actually had a chance with her. He knows her perspective on marriage and children and he respects that. He knows so much more than Peeta could ever know about Katniss. Gale also brought her a bit of normalcy, calmed her through the turbulence that she endured as the Capitol battered and forced her into a marriage with someone she barely new. Gale is her escape. But in times of difficulty, of pain, they are there for each other. They look out for each other. Each one would willingly sacrifice themselves for each other without a thought. It's instinct at this point. They're supposed to be together, there is no doubt in my mind.

Together, Katniss, Gale, and Peeta have fought against tyranny. But when it all comes down to it, Katniss will always look for her endearing friend and eventually her one love, Gale.

Nikki from New Hampshire:

I just read both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I couldn't put them down. After reading The Hunger Games, I was undecided on whether I preferred Peeta or Gale, but once I read Catching Fire I adored Peeta. Gale is quite underdeveloped and seems to be very demanding when it comes to Katniss. I also believe that Katniss feels like she must have feelings for Gale because of their history. They make very good friends, but that's all I can really see them as. I believe that Gale cares for Katniss, but Peeta is so much more developed and three dimensional that I can't help but prefer him over Gale. Peeta also seems completely devoted to Katniss and genuinely loves her. He cares for his family like Gale does his, but Peeta also loves Katniss completely. He doesn't appear to love only some aspects of her personality as I feel Gale does.

I can't wait to read the last book in the trilogy because I adore Peeta and I was couldn't stop reading as I neared the end of Catching Fire. I hope Katniss finally makes her decision between Gale and Peeta and maybe we'll even get to really see who Gale is.

Let us know your thoughts! Is Peeta better suited for Katniss? Has Gale earned the right to be with her after so many years?

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Peeta has definitly been through much more with Katniss, but Gale knows her so much better. They (Peeta but mostly Katniss) tell each other about themselves to save their own lives while with Gale, Katniss feels comfortable enough to let her gaurd down. Their is obviously no "rights" to be with her because it's her choice and hers alone, but we can't forget that Gale seems more than just the friend that Katniss sees. Don't get me wrong, I love the whole independant, tough Katniss, but maybe Gale sees her differently than she sees him. From the books, you can tell that she's a character that either a) doesn't like to see what she doesn't like or b)is oblivious to others feelings sometimes even when they are seeping through the cracks. I hate to think that the first option exsists because these are some of the best books I have ever read, but I'm trying to give Gale a bit more of a chance with Katniss.The whole love story coming from Peeta, to some, might be kind of random, but why would the tension about Gale exsist if he didn't mean anything to Katniss. She is so self- sufficient, that she possibly can't even read her own emotions towads something she's known her whole life because situations like those of the present have never come up before!

The question is whether or not she's willing to lose Gale. Maybe it's that reason that Collins is giving leads to her readers that their may be some love there in the first place. And on the opposite side, maybe Gale only feels he loves her because he's so close to having her out of his life.